Recording #4 - a Feast of Fauré
22 October 2016
Over the last two days, in the freezing cold confines of St
Matthew's, Church (note for future reference: the forced air heating
is too noisy for recording sessions) the choir, accompanied by
soloists and instrumentalists recorded their fourth commercial CD
recording. Requiem Reflections
has been recorded in memory of Constance Travis (1911-2015), a stage
actress who married into the family that owned the Northamptonshire
firm that eventually became Travis Perkins. In later life, she
became a philanthropist whose Trust gives away more than £2 million
a year to registered charities dedicated to the arts, medical
research and patient care.
Ray and Constance Travis
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Organist Stephen Moore
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The major work on the disc is, of course, Fauré's Requiem, using
the reduced scoring by David Hill (Conductor of the other Bach Choir
(!)) for solo violin, cello, harp, and organ. The choir were joined
by local soloists Philippa Hyde, Gwion Thomas, and Robert Tilson.
Arranged in a tight semicircle around the instrumentalists kept us
all cosy and warm, whilst Gary and Andrew in the engineering booth
had a small fan heater for company. Our Musical Director also helped
keep our spirits warm with his special "final session" costume, as
well as Tricolore bunting and a seven-foot cardboard Tour Eiffel.
Maestro Dunleavy gets all French
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The Eiffel Tower is in place
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The choir also recorded Fauré's Messe Brève, compiled from
Fauré's movements from the Messe des Pêcheurs de Villerville
(composed with André Messager), and his Messe basse. These works
were written for upper voices, so Lee has added parts for tenor and
bass, and adjusted the organ part to suit. The final choral work is Fauré's 1891
Tantum ergo for solo tenor, chorus, organ, and harp.
The First Friday Downbeat
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St Matthew bedecked in French finery
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Our instrumentalists also contributed Dewey Owens' transcription
for violin, cello, and harp, of the Pavane op. 50, and his
rarely-performed work for solo harp, Une châtelaine en sa tour ....
Over the coming week the choir will thaw out and begin preparations
for both their Christmas concert, and their forthcoming performance
of Poulenc's
Gloria with the RPO. Never a dull moment!
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